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“Shit,” I cursed, scrambling out of our own car. I hastily grabbed my gun out of its holster and checked to make sure the safety was off.

“What’s going on?” Tommy asked groggily, voice laden with sleep.

“Stay in the fucking car,” I hissed, though I doubted he would listen. Tommy seemed to have the mentality of breaking all my rules and then asking for forgiveness later. Sort of reminded me of Adelaide. It was no wonder the two got along like peas in a pod.

Declan appeared at my side, his own gun raised. Silently, I pointed towards the wall beside the door, and Declan immediately pressed himself against it. Moonlight illuminating my face, I began to count backwards from three silently. When I got to zero, I kicked down the door, and Declan ran inside, gun raised.

I followed after him, painfully aware that Tommy was behind me carrying his sword, the little shit.

There was the sound of startled gasps, a cry, and then I ran face first into Declan’s broad back.

“What the fuck?” I roared, despite knowing he wouldn’t hear me. I finally glanced over his shoulder, my gun held firmly in my hands.

The first thing I saw was Tonya, Davis, and Jared all tied up to our dining room chairs, gags in their mouths and expressions positively livid.

And then I saw…

My mouth opened, closed, and then opened once more.

Asher and Tam stood behind them, each holding a gun and pointing it at their heads. Ronan and Ryder sat on the couch opposite them, their eyes comically wide as they stared at us.

Lastly, my eyes rested on the most beautiful person in the world. My light. My love. My fucking queen.

Her gaze was bouncing from me to Declan and then to Tommy, unsure of who to focus on. Those beautiful blue orbs of hers were bright with unshed tears. The knife she was holding clattered to the floor.

Time slowed and then stood still.

Only one word left my lips, a desperate plea. I almost pinched myself in fear that I was dreaming. It would not be my first Adelaide dream.

“Addie?”

* * *

Addie

There was a feeling you get when you knew your life was going to change astronomically.

Where you were standing in a darkened room, unaware of your surroundings, and suddenly a light was flipped on. The change was instantaneous. The darkness receded to be replaced by...well...everything. Everything you didn’t know you were missing.

As my gaze volleyed back and forth from Fallon’s piercing eyes to Declan’s wide ones to even Tommy’s haunted ones, I knew this was my moment. My change. The moment when everything was flipped sideways, upside down, through a damn twister.

I didn’t know who moved first, but suddenly Fallon’s arms were around me. His face buried in my hair as he inhaled deeply, body shaking.

I had seen the big man pissed before, scared even, but never anything like this. Never as if the entire world had shifted, and he was hanging onto the edge by only the tips of his fingers.

He was whispering into my hair, and I could’ve sworn I heard the words “my queen” repeated like a mantra.

Suddenly, I was ripped away from Fallon and turned to face Declan. Ducky. Tears fell from his eyes, softening his features. He pulled me to him, holding me close, as if any second I would slip through his fingers like fine grains of sand.

He rocked me back and forth in his arms, not releasing me even as Fallon rejoined us, his hard body resting against my back. His lips moved to my neck, light kisses creating a decadent pathway.

Soon, we would be putting on a nice show for our prisoners.

And I wanted it. I wantedthem. The need was nearly more forceful than anything else, a train with no brakes barreling towards a cement wall.

But…

I wrenched myself reluctantly from Fallon and Declan’s arms, stepping backwards to orient myself. Phantom tingles raced up and down my arms as my skin remembered the feel of theirs pressed against mine.